Polymer chemistry

Abstract

The birth of polymer chemistry, or the chemistry of macromolecules, marks a new epoch in the history of modern science. The concepts put forward in this field not only expanded the theoretical and methodological out­ look of chemistry but also provided a base for the growth of other new sciences, notably molecular biology and molecular physics. The practical aspects of polymer chemistry are more familiar to us: the synthetic fibers, synthetic rubbers, and a wide variety of plastics on which our modern culture has come to depend, all stem from its applications.